Regardless of where you live in Texas, you can experience freezing winters that are hard on your home. Make sure your plumbing is ready for the weather this year by following our plumbing guide for Fort Worth.
- Add drains to your weekly cleaning schedule. Clean out the hair traps, dump out the screens for your shower and sink drains, and make sure everything moves down the drain thoroughly. If you have slow drains, pour boiling water down them once a week to keep everything flowing well until you can have them professionally cleaned.
- Check your bathroom and kitchen for faucets that leak and have them repaired right away.
- Also, check around the seams and seals for your toilets, showers, and bathtubs. Even small leaks can cause floor damage that goes unnoticed for a long time.
- Insulate all the plumbing in your Fort Worth home so that it is protected from freezing temperatures. Once your plumbing is insulated, it is still a good idea to keep your heater on a higher setting when you know that the weather will bring freezing temperatures overnight.
- Get your water heater checked for sediment or rust. If your tank water heater has residue inside of it, but no rust, then it may be flushed so that it will work more efficiently. If there is rust found in your tank water heater, then it is time to replace it. Rust will eventually lead to leaks and could crack the whole tank!
- Have your sump pump checked to make sure that it works well if you need it this winter. Make sure it is clean, and there aren’t any issues with drainage.
- Be aware of the location of your water main and the other shut off valves in your home. You may need to access them right away during a plumbing emergency. It is also good to know how to shut off the water in your home if you are away and need to communicate the workings and locations of your shut off valves to someone else.